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Crossin says she may have gone earlier

Northern Territory senator Trish Crossin says she may have retired if she had been told she was to be cast aside so Nova Peris could be given her job.

Senator Crossin lost her coveted spot on Tuesday as the first choice to represent the party in the Senate in the NT.

It followed the ALP national executive's endorsement of the Aboriginal Olympian for the job.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard said last week she wanted Ms Peris as her "captain's pick", to boost Labor's indigenous representation in the parliament.

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"Perhaps if people had a discussion with me prior to last week then my retirement plans may have occurred earlier," Ms Crossin said after learning she had lost No 1 spot on the ALP's NT Senate ticket.

"That didn't occur and I was put in a situation where I was told that this was going to be the outcome," she told reporters in Darwin.

She said she had unsuccessfully fought for the rank-and-file members to make the decision of who should represent the NT.

Senator Crossin thanked her family, friends, staff and parliamentary colleagues for their support during the past week.

"It has been a wonderful outstanding journey and I have loved every minute of it," she said.

Senator Crossin also called on the prime minister to introduce a bill into federal parliament to pave the way for members of the Stolen Generation to be financially compensated, as has occurred in some states.

Senator Crossin said the preselection process had been personally disappointing.

But she would never stand as an independent after 30 years of membership with the ALP and trade unions, with which she had worked for three years.

"The Labor party is in my blood," she told Sky News.

"I will never resign my membership and I won't stand as an independent."

NT branch members had told her they were angry about the process, she said, and the party would need to mend relationships and restore the faith of its members in the coming weeks and months.

"They are asking questions about why it is the party doesn't have a national strategy to get more indigenous people involved or ready to stand for parliament," Senator Crossin said.

"Why is it that good Aboriginal members of the Northern Territory branch were not asked or considered.

"These are discussions that will need to be held."

Senator Crossin was repeatedly asked if she wanted people to get behind Ms Peris but she stopped short of urging people to back her challenger.

"I'm urging party members to make sure Tony Abbott doesn't walk through the door of the Lodge," she said.

Senator Crossin did urge party members to back her former adviser Luke Gosling to win the federal seat of Solomon.

She said Ms Peris was "pretty much guaranteed" a Senate spot.

The senator said she had good reasons for supporting Kevin Rudd in last year's leadership spill, but Ms Gillard had introduced incredible reforms with which she was proud to be associated.